The invention relates to an apparatus and method for applying a product to the hair or to the scalp. For example, the invention may be used as an apparatus and method for applying a hair dye to the hair or a treatment product to the scalp.
The applicator at which the present invention is aimed is of the type having at least two applicator tips in the form of hollow teeth, through which there passes a product supply duct extending to a dispensing orifice. This dispensing orifice may be supplied with product from a product reservoir associated with this applicator.
Devices comprising a number of protrusions, aligned in a straight or curved line are known, particularly in the area of hair treatment, such as the area of hair dyeing.
Devices of this type are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,624,348, U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,504 and WO-A-98/01 053. These known devices have a number of protrusions aligned on an elongate base and supplied with a liquid product contained in an enclosure. The free ends of these protrusions form dispensing holes arranged in a row, in the manner of a comb. The elongate base, together with the protrusions secured to it, are made of a rigid material.
Elsewhere, DE-GM-69 01 735 discloses a device allowing a product to be dispensed and massaged into the scalp. This device comprises a rigid sole, on which are implanted a number of protrusions arranged in several rows on the surface of the sole, in the manner of a brush. The free ends of the protrusions define a plane. The rigid sole forms part of a product enclosure which has an elastically deformable portion. When product is applied, pressure is exerted on the elastically deformable portion of the enclosure to cause the product to be expelled through the dispensing hole of the protrusions.
EP 0 943 260 describes a device on which fingers are mounted via a base common to the fingers. The fingers have outlet openings through which the preparation emerges to arrive on the desired part of the hair. The fingers may be made of an elastic material.
The devices described hereinabove have a certain number of major disadvantages. Specifically, it is difficult for a number of protrusions to be correctly positioned with respect to the scalp or the hair, given the morphology of the skull, which may have a variable profile of curvature. Thus, if the user does not take special precautions, the ends of some of the protrusions may rub against the scalp and risk causing irritation, while others of the protrusions may remain distant from the scalp. Such treatment may be felt as being unpleasant, or even annoying, by the user. In addition, the application of the product may not be uniform, because some of the product is applied to the scalp while some more of the product is dispersed some distance away from the scalp into the hair, far from the root or base of the hair.
Such non-uniform application may be particularly undesirable, especially when a hair dye has to be applied to the growing base of previously dyed hair. What happens in this type of application is that only the root of the hair needs to be treated. Such application may be also annoying when only the scalp needs to be treated.
It may be one optional aspect of the present invention to improve, or even make more effective and more pleasant, the treatment of the hair or of the scalp with a product, while at the same time providing variable positioning of the dispensing orifices so that the product can be applied precisely to the desired spot.
Another source, FR-A-2 647 034, discloses a device for applying a liquid product to the skin, comprising a rigid porous applicator dome. This applicator element is mounted on a product enclosure via a flexible region such as a bellows. This arrangement gives the system a certain degree of flexibility of radial pivoting in all directions and ensures that application is particularly comfortable.
The above device is not suited to the applying of a liquid product to (or into) the hair or to the scalp. This is because by using this type of device, the product might not be able to penetrate amongst the hair or be applied to the scalp.
Another source, U.S. Pat. No. 2,939,615, describes a device for a hair treatment product comprising a dispenser mounted on a reservoir. The dispenser comprises an ejection chamber which is flexible by virtue of the presence of a bellows forming a wall of the chamber. The chamber is closed by a flat upper wall equipped with small openings which are in communication with the ejection chamber. Solid elements forming conically-shaped projections are mounted on the upper wall, adjacent to each opening. A groove is made along one of the sides of each conical element, to communicate with the corresponding opening provided on the flat upper wall. When the device is applied to the hair, the product emerges via the openings made in the flat upper wall of the ejection chamber. From that moment, the product is in contact with the hair. Even though some of the product flows along the grooves, namely along the conical elements, the product may experience difficulty in reaching the scalp or the root of the hair because the outlet openings for the product are formed on the flat surface.
The present invention optionally overcomes one or more of the disadvantages exhibited by the devices described above.
Hence, one of the optional subjects of the invention is to provide a unit equipped with an applicator head allowing appropriate and variable positioning of the dispensing orifices, depending on the profile of the skull, while at the same time ensuring very precise application.
Another optional subject includes allowing a large amount of product to be dispensed.
Another optional subject is to have particular flexibility for application, to avoid any attack or irritation of the scalp during treatment.
One aspect of the invention relates to an applicator for applying a product to at least one of hair and a scalp. The applicator may comprise a body configured to be associated with a reservoir, a base, and at least two application teeth extending from the base. Each of the application teeth may comprise a free end including a dispensing orifice and a conveying duct. The teeth may have a first end at the dispensing orifice and a second end intended to be placed in flow communication with the reservoir. The applicator may include an elastically deformable coupling between the base and the body. The elastically deformable coupling may be configured to allow relative movement of the base with respect to the body in response to at least one of axial force applied to at least one of the teeth, and lateral force applied to at least one of the teeth.
According to another aspect, there is provided an application device comprising a reservoir, and an applicator on the reservoir. The applicator may comprise a base and at least two application teeth extending from the base. Each of the application teeth may comprise a free end including a dispensing orifice and a conveying duct having a first end at the dispensing orifice and a second end intended to be placed in flow communication with the reservoir. The teeth may have an elastically deformable coupling provided between the base and the reservoir. The elastically deformable coupling may be configured to allow relative movement of the base with respect to the reservoir in response to at least one of axial force applied to at least one of the teeth, and lateral force applied to at least one of the teeth.
According to yet another aspect, a unit may be provided for applying a product, for example, a liquid product, to the hair or to the scalp. The unit may comprise a reservoir of longitudinal axis, for the product. Provided on the reservoir is an applicator head comprising a base from which extends at least two applicator tips, each of the applicator tips being in the form of a hollow tooth through which passes a conveying duct which opens at a dispensing orifice positioned at the free end of the tooth. The dispensing orifice may optionally be located in the center of the free end. The duct is in communication with the reservoir. An elastically deformable coupling is provided between the base and the reservoir to permit relative movement of the base with respect to the reservoir in response to axial force and/or lateral force exerted on at least one of the tips.
The movement permitted between the base and the reservoir may be a movement both along the axis of the reservoir and, in the manner of a ball joint, in pivoting in any radial direction whatsoever with respect to the axis of the reservoir.
To achieve certain optional advantages, the teeth may be three in number. When this is the case, the teeth are arranged on the base in a triangle, for example, in an isosceles triangle.
The number of teeth may be greater than three, if appropriate, and configured in an appropriate layout.
The elastically deformable coupling may be formed by an annular membrane. This coupling may allow the ends of the teeth to move, either axially or in the manner of a ball joint. This arrangement may allow the dispensing orifices to be oriented as precisely as possible in the desired spot, according to the profile of the skull. This arrangement according to an optional aspect of the invention allows three or even more dispensing teeth to be positioned appropriately.
According to one optional embodiment, the elastically deformable coupling may be produced from a material identical to that of the entire applicator head and may be formed by an annular portion of lesser thickness. The coupling may alternatively be formed by a portion comprising a bellows or a portion comprising at least one annular corrugation.
As yet another optional alternative, the elastically deformable coupling may be formed of an elastomer type material different from the one forming the base and the teeth.
Optionally, the annular membrane may be made of natural or synthetic rubber or of a conventional thermoplastic elastomer.
In general, the deformability of such an elastomeric material results from a bending component which gives the base its ability either to pivot like a ball joint or to move axially or laterally in response to force, and return by elasticity to its initial shape when the force ceases. The flexibility of a material that is appropriate for forming the elastically deformable coupling may be characterized by its modulus of elasticity. Examples of materials for the coupling have a modulus of elasticity of at most about 200 MPa (Young""s modulus). The flexibility of the elastically deformable coupling may result from the nature of the material forming the coupling and/or from the configuration of the coupling.
The elastomeric material may be characterized by a Shore A hardness of from about 40 to about 70.
For example, the elastically deformable coupling may be secured to a body having a fastening member, for example in the form of a ring, capable of fastening the applicator head onto the reservoir, for example by screwing, snap fastening or any other appropriate means.
Optionally, the applicator teeth form a single piece with the base which can be obtained by molding of an appropriate material.
When the membrane is made of elastomer, it may be produced by two-shot injection molding in an appropriate mold. For example, the applicator head may be made by injecting a first elastomer material to form the elastically deformable coupling, and a second material, the rigidity of which is greater than the rigidity of the first, to form the base and the fastening means. Optionally, the second material may be chosen from more or less rigid or semi-rigid thermoplastic material such as high-density polyethylene or polypropylene.
Optionally, the elastomer membrane may also be produced by overmolding in an appropriate mold between the base and the fastening member, the base and the body may be produced by injection molding a thermoplastic material equivalent to the second material mentioned above, and connected by bridges of material of the film hinge type. These bridges of material, of small thickness, may then be overmolded with elastomer to form the elastically deformable membrane.
Optionally, the teeth may have a frustoconical shape, with a cross section that decreases in the direction towards the dispensing orifice. This arrangement may allow the teeth to penetrate well amongst the hair.
The teeth may have an overall orientation the axis of which is parallel or divergent with respect to the longitudinal axis of the reservoir. The separation of the axis passing through the teeth diverging from the longitudinal axis of the reservoir, may make it possible to regulate the distance between the dispensing orifices and thus to configure the width of the lines traced in the hair and to determine the total width of the surface to be treated. Optionally, the teeth have more or less identical heights.
According to a particular optional embodiment, the base bearing the teeth is dome shaped.
Optionally, all or some of the applicator teeth may be provided with a coating of flock, encouraging the spreading of the product that is to be applied.
An optional gutter provided around all or some of the teeth, optionally formed of the elastically deformable coupling, may make it possible, as appropriate, to collect surplus product that might run after application.
The reservoir may be optionally elastically deformable, particularly in compression. The reservoir may be shaped so that it can act as a member for grasping. With such an optional embodiment, in a movement along the profile of the scalp or along the hair that is to be treated, the user may hold the unit in one hand, while having the possibility at the same time to meter the product being dispensed by exerting appropriate pressure on the walls of the reservoir.
Optionally, all the dispensing orifices may be brought into contact with a non-planar support, such as the scalp, in a determined and oriented manner, also allowing the product to be applied to a relatively broad area. By virtue of the ability of the base to move in many directions (in axial compression, lateral bending or a combination of these two, in the manner of a ball joint), all the ends of the teeth may simultaneously come into contact with the scalp, or in any case, very close to the latter.
Thus, by virtue of the mobility of the base with the teeth, in the manner of a ball joint, the applicator orifices may be oriented with respect to the surface of the skull, for example, with a three-tooth arrangement with the teeth arranged in a triangle, as described hereinabove.
In addition, it may be possible to ensure gentle contact with the scalp throughout the movement of the unit when applying the product, avoiding the irritations that would result from the use of an applicator of the rigid comb type.
In certain optional embodiments, the elastically deformable coupling may act as a damper in the axial direction of the unit, when the teeth come into contact with the scalp. Furthermore, as the teeth move through the hair, the lines drawn can be drawn gently, with less tugging at the hair, by virtue of the lateral elasticity exhibited by the teeth. Thus, flexible and gentle application to the scalp may be obtained, thus avoiding any aggressiveness towards it. Furthermore, an effect of untangling the hair may also be obtained.
Other optional aspects may include a method of applying a product to at least one of the hair and the scalp. The method may comprise providing the application device described herein, orienting the applicator so that the orifice of the teeth faces generally in the direction of at least one of the hair and scalp, and passing a product through the orifice of each tooth to apply the product to at least one of the hair and the scalp.
Optionally, the method may further comprise squeezing the reservoir to flow product from the reservoir to the orifice.
Additionally, the method may further comprise placing the teeth in contact with at least one of the scalp and the hair and moving the applicator with respect to the scalp and/or hair.
When application is performed using an applicator unit with an arrangement of three teeth configured in a triangle, one tooth may be oriented at the front in the direction of travel, making it possible to draw a main line. The other two teeth which may xe2x80x9cfollowxe2x80x9d make it possible to draw two secondary lines located one on each side of the main line. The distance between the teeth which follow is the factor that determines the width of the area treated.
The applicator unit may be, for example, suitable for applying a product of somewhat fluid consistency, for example to the scalp or to the hair.
By way of examples of products that can be applied using the applicator unit, mention may be made of cosmetic and treatment products, such as dyes for keratinous materials, shampoos, conditioners and setting products, and compositions for treating afflictions of the scalp, such as dandruff or psoriasis, etc.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of aspects of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain some of the principles of the invention.